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Fulham defeated Everton on penalties to advance to the EFL Cup semi-finals.
Fulham have reached the EFL Cup semi-finals for the first time after defeating Everton 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes on Tuesday night.
Michael Keane’s first-half own goal put the Cottagers ahead at Goodison Park, but substitute Beto equalized for the Toffees eight minutes from time to send the game to penalties.
Following the scoring of 13 of the first 15 penalties, Idrissa Gueye of Everton struck the post with a 12-yard attempt. Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo then converted the winning penalty to put his team in the running for Wednesday’s semi-final draw.
Fulham vs Everton | Match Details
Fulham make five changes from the team that lost 3-0 to Newcastle United last weekend, with Silva starting Kenny Tete, Calvin Bassey, Harrison Reed, Willian, and Rodrigo Muniz, the latter of whom replaces the suspended Raul Jimenez.
Meanwhile, Sean Dyche named a strong XI and made two forced changes to the lineup that defeated Burnley 2-0 the previous week, with injured duo Abdoulaye Doucoure and Ben Godfrey being replaced by Gueye and Jarrad Branthwaite, who played at left-back.
Both teams made a slow start to the game, with neither team scoring in the first 20 minutes, but Everton gradually grew into the game and created chances through Dwight McNeil, James Tarkowski, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Branthwaite.
When he met an inviting cross from Jack Harrison, the latter came closest to opening the scoring for the hosts, but he could only head his effort straight into the grasp of Bernd Leno.
Just as Everton appeared to be in control, Fulham took the lead on the counter-attack when Willian and Antonee Robinson combined down the left flank before the latter fired a cross towards Toffees defender Keane, who diverted the ball past Jordan Pickford and into his own net.
After a lengthy delay at the start of the second half due to Nathan Patterson and Willian colliding heads during an aerial challenge, the former was booked, and shortly after play resumed, Harrison unleashed a fantastic effort from range that fizzed narrowly wide before Harry Wilson fired a half-volley off target at the other end.
Fulham vs Everton | EFL Cup | Quarter Finals
Fulham were fortunate to keep 11 men on the field when Tete handled the ball on the ground after the right-back thought he had won a foul, but the Dutchman avoided a second yellow card from referee Graham Scott.
Willian was unable to continue after receiving a knock to the head and was replaced by Tom Cairney, while Dyche switched Beto for Calvert-Lewin in attack.
Beto jumped right into the action, having a decent effort saved by Bernd Leno, but the Portuguese striker then took advantage of some penalty-box pinball to head home an 82nd-minute equalizer after Fulham failed to clear their lines.
Fulham responded by bringing on striker Carlos Vinicius in an attempt to score a late winner and avoid a penalty shootout, but Everton came closest to scoring in the dying minutes when substitute Arnaut Danjuma fired a volley wide.
There was nothing to separate the two teams in the first seven penalties of the shootout until Bobby De-Cordova Reid and Amadou Onana had two tame penalties comfortably saved by Jordan Pickford and Leno, respectively.
Six more penalties were then converted in sudden death, with Gueye stepping up from 12 yards but hitting the post before Adarabiyoyo became the hero for Fulham by rolling his strike into the bottom corner, sending the Fulham away support into a frenzy.
Silva’s team will now turn their attention to Saturday’s Premier League match at Craven Cottage against Burnley, while Everton will look to shake off the disappointment of their EFL Cup elimination when they travel to North London to face Tottenham Hotspur.
